Aircraft often include one or more landing gear that comprise one or more wheels. Wheels may comprise friction brakes having a brake material which tends to suffer increased wear and damage when operated outside a preferred operating temperature range. A brake control unit may optimize brake life by selecting friction braking under optimal speeds, temperatures, or other conditions, or by optimizing the temperature of the brakes to the lowest wear region of the operating envelope. Brake life may be further optimized under wet conditions by optimizing a brake drying protocol.